Conduit electric railway



No Model.) j 2 shee'ns-sneec 1. O. B. FINN GONDUI'I-ELEGTRIG RAILWAY.

. Patented 065.16.1894..l

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(No Model.)

' -O."B. FINN. y 110111111121 ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

110. 527,601. Patented, 001. 16; 1891.

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oLIvEE E. FINN, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.V

I ooNool'r ELEcTRIc RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent No. 527,601, dated october1e, 1894.

Appncaio'uea rtm1] 16, 1894.' serial No. 503,321. (No man.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, OLIVER B. FINN, a citizen of the United States,residing in/the city and county of Philadelphia, Stateof Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Railways, whichimprovement is vfully set forth inthe following specification andaccompanying drawings.

My invention consists of an electric railway formed of a shoe which isconnected with a car, so as to travel therewith, a movable stem with aroller which may be engaged by saId shoe, an arm with which said stemmay contact, and a feed wire carrying said arm, whereby a circuit may beformed and communicated from said'wire tothe motor of the car, as willbe hereinafter more fully described.

It also consists of details Vof construction, as will be hereinafter setforth.

Figure 1l represents a partial transverse Vertical section and partialside elevation of an electric railway embodying my invention. Flg. 2represents a similar view of a portion, showing certain parts indifferent position from that in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinalhorizontal section on line as, oo, Fig. 1. Fig.- 4 represents a verticalsection on line' y, y, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents'a face view of aninsulating' block that is employed for the roller stem. Fig. 6representsa top view on a reduced scale.' Fig. 7 represents aperspective View of the insulation Fig.' 5. Fig. 8 represents a sideelevation of the lower portion of the hanger and adjacent parts. Fig. 9represents a vertical section of a portion of the conduit as coupledwith a tube or pipe on the side thereof, showing also the feed wirepassing through the same. Figs. 10 and 11 represent side elevations ofthe upper portion of the hanger. Fig. 12repres'ents a horizontal sectionon line z, z, Fig. 11, the scale of Figs. lO, 11, and 12 being differentfrom those in the other figures.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts' in theseveral figures.

Referring to drawings: A designates a car rail, at the side of which isa conduit B, in the top wall whereof is, a slot C. The door of the saidconduit B is formed of brackets B, located at intervals, the spacesbetween which permitting water or other foreign matter to fall into thegutter below the same, the

latter beingad apted to'receive the water-that 'may enterthe conduitthrough the slot C,

said gutter having a draining or discharging pipe which leads to aseweror other suitable outlet.' At the side'of said conduit'Bisv' a boxD, in which is supportedthe feed WireE to which is attached the armEQ'Whereby when the latter is forced back, the wire is subjected totorsion, and when thearm is afterward released said spring restores thearm to its normal position. The lower end of thearmE has a hook E2thereon, the same being adapted to be engaged by the reduced endE3 ofthe stem G, so as to increase the contact surface of the stem with saidarm, and also increase 'pressure at point of contact since the tendencyof the hook E2 is to rise when .the Ystem G is forcedin against it.

Interposed between the conduitB and box D is a wall F, in which isguided the supporting-stem G of a roller H, said stem being inhorizontal position, and the roller having a vertical axis.

. The' box D has its-sides coupled as at D with the lengths of pipe D',and hung thereon so'that said .box may be rotated, and therebyraisedfrom the' position shown in Fig. 1, to

ythat shown in Fig. 2, whereby the roller H and adjacent parts areaccessible for repairs or other purposes requiring the same. In

.this case, a plug shown in dotted lines Fig. 2,

is inserted between the bearings of the roller H and the'insulation S,so that the roller stem is prevented from being placed in contact withthe live wire. Bearing against said stem\ Gis av spring G', which issecured within the vbox D, and serves to return said stem to its normalposition. Opposite to the roller is the shoe J, which latter isyieldingly supported on the hanger K, and has pressing against it thebuer-springs L, which are suitably connected with said hanger and shoe,thus permitting the vibration of the shoe, due to the motion of the car,it being noticed that the hanger is properlyV secured to the car, andmoves through the slot C, it being also eviv'dent that the car will beprovided with two 'lOO hangers, each connected with the shoe at oppositeplaces.

The flaring ends ofthe shoe J, and the porp tion of the face adjacentthereto are made of or covered with insulating material, so as toprevent any current from flowing until perfeet contact has beenestablished, when the roller iirst comes on the shoe, and to discontinuethe flow of electricity before the contact is broken at the rear of theshoe, whereby sparking is prevented at the contact of the roller androller stem as said roller is passed by.

The hanger has its lower portion K connected with the main portionthereof, by means of pivot K2, whereby said lower portion may vibrate onsaid pivot and turn when the shoe and hanger are being removed.v Thehanger has a grooved block K4 connected with the back thereof, saidblock being freely embraced by a sleeve K5 which is attached to thesupplemental hanger K6. Interposed between the block K4 and thesupplemental hanger K6 is a sliding filling piece K which has inclinedshoulders aabove its outer end, and stops b and c on its ends. A bolt K7passes through said block K4, and the slot K3 of the hanger, and alsothrough a link KS, the upper ends of the link and hanger having limbsthereon to which are attached respectively the ropes or rodsK9 and K10,whereby when the rope K9 is drawn, the hanger with its connected partsmay be raised, and when said rope K10 is drawn, the hanger receivesangular motion, and so is withdrawn from the conduit, the latter havingdoors A at intervals, to effect such removal. f See Fig. 6. When thehanger rises, the block K4 clears the sleeve K5, and so may receive theaforesaid angular or lateral motion but when the hanger is lowered, theblock engages with t said sleeve K5 and is locked by the same with thesupplemental hanger K6, which latter is fixed to a suitable part of acar, and thus the hanger proper is held rigid during operation.

When the'hanger K is raised, and the link KB lifts the bolt K7, thelatter raises the sliding piece KX, so that the shoulder a enters thesleeve K5 and thus holds said piece KX fairly rigid in said sleeve. Theupward motion of said piece is limited by the stop b, and the downwardmotion thereof is limited by the stop c, said stops being adapted toabut respectively against the lower and upper ends of the sleeve. Whenlateral motion is imparted to the hanger in the withdrawal of the samefrom the conduit, the block K4 turns on the piece KX, the bolt K7constituting the axis of said block.

Rising from the shoe J is a guide J2, the same playing freely in theslot C.

A roller M is journaled in a recess in the upper face of the horizontalarm or base N of the hanger K, and bears against the lower side of theshoe J, whereby said shoe may be nicely sustained in its vibrations.

On the hanger K is an insulated joint P, whereby the current isprevented from leaking to that portion of the hanger that may come incontact with the sides of the slot. Above said joint is a detlector orshed Q for directing water from the shoe, roller and adjacent parts.

R designates an insulated wire, which is connected with the hanger K,and forms the electric communication of the motor of the car and shoe.

In the wall F of the conduit and box are insulating blocks S for thestem G of the roller H, said blocks being readily inserted in an openingin said wall and retained in position by the key T, said opening beingof such dimensions that the roller and stem thereof maybe readily placedin position and removed therefrom through said opening.

The ends of the shoe are flaring as at J',

so that the same will contact with orstrike t the roller withoutabruptness.

It will be seen that when the shoe reaches the roller H,it presses thesame, whereby the stem G is forced into contact with the arm E', and acircuit is accordingly formed, the current thus being transmittedthrough the feed wire, the arm, the stem and the roller, to the shoe J,and from thence through the wireR to the motor of the car, the eect ofwhich is evident. When the shoe leaves the roller, the latter isreturned to its normal position owing to the action of the spring G',the stem G being relieved of contact of the arm E and thus the circuitis broken, it being however observed, that when the roller of the seriesemployed, is about to leave the shoe, the

roller ahead is about to contact with the forward end of the shoe, andthus there is always a roller on the shoe.

Insulation is applied to parts wherever required.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is` t 1. In an electric railway, a conduit, abox with an opening in its wall,a sliding stem in said opening having aroller thereon, an insulated wire in said box having an arm rigidlyconnected therewith, said arm having IOO IIO

a hooked end adapted to be engaged by a W tongue, on said stem, and aspring bearing against said stem, said parts being combinedsubstantially as described.

2. In an electric railway, ashoe freely connected with a hanger of a carand movable therewith, a buffer for said shoe, a base on said hanger,and a roller which is mounted on the said base and bearing on the shoe,said parts being combined substantially as de scribed.

3. In an electric railway, a feed wire and an arm connected therewith incombination with a stem and a shoe on a car for moving said stem incontact with said arm, said wire turning in a torsional manner so as torestore said arm to its normal position, substantially as described. a

Ll. In an electric railway, the roller H and the stem G carryingthesame, in combination with the arm E' on the feed wire E, said armhaving a hook thereon for engagement with said stem, substantially asdescribed.

5. In an electric railway, a box adapted to contain the circuit formingmechanism, mounted on bearings, whereby it may be turned upwardly,substantially as described.

6. In an electric railway, the box D having the feed wire passingthrough the saine, the pipes D supported on the sides of said box andreceiving said wire, and a coupling D connecting said box with saidpipes, permitting the upward rotation of said boX, substantially asdescribed.

7. In an electric railway, a hanger having a pivoted lower portion, ashoe having yielding connections with said lower portion and havingHaring ends provided with faces havin g insulating material thereonsubstantially as described.

8. In an electric railway, a feed wire, a movable arm connectedtherewith and adapted to impart torsion thereto, a sliding stem adaptedto contact with said arm, and means on a car for operating said stem,the parts named being combined substantially as described.

9. In an electric railway, a hanger connected with a car, a shoeattached to said hanger, an insulated joint on said hanger, and adelector on the hanger above said joint, substantially as described.

10. In an electric railway, a hanger having a jointed lower portion witha base, a shoe connected with said portion and a roller between saidshoe and base, saidparts being combined substantially as described.

11. In an electric railway, the hanger K, the grooved block K4, thesleeve K5 and the supplemental hanger K6, which carries said sleeve, theparts being combined substantially as described.

12. In anelectric railway, the hanger K, the block K4, the sleeve K5,the supplemental hanger which carries said sleeve, and the shoulderedfilling piece K intermediate of said block and hanger, substantially asdescribed.

13. In an electric railway, a hanger for a shoe, having a grooved blockconnected with the back thereof, a supplemental hanger with a sleeveembracing said block, and a filling piece with inclined shoulders aboveits outer end, and stops on its ends, said parts being combinedsubstantial] y as described.

14. In an electric railway, a hangerV with a slot therein, a blockconnected with said hangerby a bolt passing through said slot, a linkconnected with saidbbolt, and ropes connected with limbs of said hangerand link, said parts being combined substantially as described.

OLIVER B. FINN. Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, R. H. GRAEsER.

